Who Will Farm Britain? New Paper Warns of a Generation Crisis

Who will farm Britain? New paper warns of a generation crisis

A new paper launched ahead of National Young Farmers’ Week 2026 this week (October 5-9) warns that too many young people are being prevented from working in agriculture due to longstanding barriers to entering and progressing in the industry.

Young farmers warn barriers are driving next generation from industry

NFYFC report warns young farmers face land, finance, housing and training barriers, calling for action to secure the future of farming in England and Wales.

Who will farm Britain? New report flags generation crisis

A new report released ahead of National Young Farmers’ Week warns that Britain faces a looming “generation cliff edge” in agriculture, with too few young people able to enter or progress in the sector. The paper, titled Proud to Farm, is the latest output of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs’ YFC AGRI group and highlights the stark age profile of farmers across England and Wales. In England the average farmer is now 59 years old, m…